Kainoa Wade drilled 20 kills as Kamehameha swept BIIF champion Hilo 25-10, 25-12, 25-18 on Thursday night at Kekuhaupio Gymnasium in the quarterfinals of the New City Nissan/HHSAA Boys Volleyball State Championships.
The 6-foot-9 junior hit .528 and did not commit his lone hitting error until the final set. Kamehameha (12-5) will battle OIA champion Moanalua at 5 p.m. today in the semifinal round at Punahou’s Hemmeter Fieldhouse.
“We knew that we’re physically a lot better than them, so we tried to keep our errors to a minimum. Let them make the mistakes, not us,” Wade said. “I think both of our pins stepped up. Conor (Williams) played a great game. All three setters played a great game. It was an all-around effort.”
Wade has never lacked for a sense of urgency, but the junior is in his last season as a high school player. He plans to graduate early and join the national powerhouse at Hawaii coached by his father, Charlie Wade. Moanalua is foremost on his mind.
“They’re a good team. We can’t take them lightly. We played them in preseason. The Guam kid (Ezekiel Sablan) is a good player,” Wade said. “Two more (wins). All we need is two.”
Christian Togiai had six of his nine kills in the third set, while Williams soared for six kills and two aces. Versatile Poukihi Awai, a 6-4 senior, tallied four kills, two blocks and one ace, while Kaupo Hoopai-Waikoloa chipped in four kills.
“Everybody played as a team. After every play, we came together and we brought the energy to the court,” Williams said. “We’ve just got to move on from our mistakes and focus on the next play. We’ve got to shut down a couple of (Moanalua’s) hitters, pick some serving targets and just bring energy to the court. Play our hardest and that’s the best we can do.”
Senior setter Brayden Van Kuren dished 30 assists and tallied one kill and one ace. Warriors coach Sava Agpoon has enjoyed the progress of his squad.
“The chemistry is a lot better. Hopefully, we’ll keep peaking through states. We had a lot more energy. Brayden was a lot more comfortable distributing the ball around. I liked that,” Agpoon said. “Our crowd was a factor, so hopefully they’ll be there at (Hemmeter Fieldhouse). Moanalua looked good. The last time we played them was the Longy (Okamoto) tournament. They were figuring things out. We were figuring things out, too. They looked super good against Mililani.”
Hilo was gritty and relentless, but Kamehameha’s edge was clear. The Warriors had eight aces and three blocks. Hilo had no aces or blocks but never quit. In the third set, the Vikings led 6-5 after a kill by Raidan Kaiwa Ware.
Maluhia Tandal led Hilo (12-2) with eight kills, including five in the third game. Mosiah Kolonahe Walker dished nine assists, while Peyton Pana had six assists and two kills.
Hilo will play Roosevelt in a consolation match at Kekuhaupio Gym at 6:30 p.m. today.
“I’m happy we get another day of volleyball, hopefully two. This group of boys is a strong team of personalities and individuals who came together. We accomplished our season goal back at home and we’re trying to enjoy and learn as much as we can, to celebrate our seniors this week and prepare those who will return,” Hilo coach Adam Tuifagu said. “This was a good opportunity for our boys. They adjusted as quickly as they could to something they don’t see at home.”
Kamehameha senior libero Harryzen Soares made certain he was ready for the match long before the first game.
“I’m happy we’re still alive,” he said. “I know I had to be on time to school so I could play. Usually, I’m a little late. It’s surreal. This year is just a little more exhilarating because it’s my last year. It’s a great group. Everyone’s playing their best volleyball right now. I want to keep getting better with this team.”
